HomeFlorida's Hillsborough County animal court could score high in the Nielsen ratings, if it were made into a TV show that is. This real life court has got all the right stuff - emotional outburst, tense conflict pitting neighbor against neighbor as well as a few funny moments, too.
It can get crazy, says Vicki Reeves, who has resided over the court for the past four years. "You get neighbors who take this as seriously as if there were a murder in the neighborhood."
Sometimes 10 or 15 neighbors will show up in court just to complain about one person. "This is a tremendous amount of energy and emotion these people are exhibiting when it really could have been resolved by the owner." said Reeves, who's a lawyer.
Owners of cats, rabbits, and even an ostrich have come through this Tampa courtroom but most cases involve dogs who are deemed nuisances because of constant barking or for roaming around the neighborhood.
Pitbulls and rottweilers are involved in most of the nuisance cases, says Reeves, because people think their vicious animals and are scared of them. Consequently, any little thing these pets do prompts the neighbors to complain. Some of these cases would never have been in court if these people had just taken a few minutes in the beginning to get to know the dog, says Reeves. By doing so, they would have seen not all pitbulls and rottweilers are mean. Instead, you have neighbors who are not talking to each other, calling the police on one another, and even keying each others cars, she says .
Other commonly heard cases involve dogs cited for not having a county license or rabies vaccination, as was the case recently with a Chihuahua. When it came time for the case to be heard, the owner stood before Reeves, with his six year old son beside him, and explained they had gotten the required license and vaccination, so she dismissed the case. But before the two turned to leave, the little boy asked, with a worried face, "Does my dog have a rap sheet now?"
With over 150 cases heard each month, having a separate court for animal violations has made a positive difference in two ways, explains Reeves. It lightens the load of the county judges who now only hear the more serious cases, like dangerous dog violations, and it's gotten a lot more people to be in compliance with the county's animal control laws.
As a hearing officer, the maximum amount Reeves can fine offenders is $500 but generally it's much less, she says. Failure to have a dog vaccinated for rabies and licensed, for instance, runs $85.
But Reeves would like to do more than just hit people in the pocket book, which she feels isn't always enough motivation. For habitual offenders, she would like to be able to take their pets away from them. "That may get their attention." she said. Especially when it comes to breeders and protective dog services who are cited repeatedly for various violations and neglect.